Geological mapping, observations and sampling for analysis of the geological evolution of North Victoria Land

Early mapping of the Northern Victoria Land region suggested the presence of three major north-northwest trending belts with differing rocks, structures and geological histories. These differences were suggested to be over-rated and that the relationships between the belts were close. Furthermore, subsequent geochemical work showed that the Cambrian volcanics of the central Bowers belt were probably a primitve intra-oceanic arc, a conclusion incompatible with their current position. A joint collaborative programme between New Zeland, the USA and Germany aimed to examine four areas to clarify some misconceptions in the geology of the Northern Victoria Land geology.
The aim of the study was
a) to confirm that the sequence of the earliest discovered Ordovician fossils at Handler Ridge (in rocks believed to be Robertson Bay Group of late Precambrian or Cambrian) was part of the Robertson Bay Group (which would place significant contraints on interpretations of sedimentological, tectonic and isotopic history),
b) to investigate if the western boundary of the central belt was a major thrust with telescoping of metamorphic zones,
c) to investigate the sighting of a low angle thrust at Crosscut Peak near the eastern boundary of the central belt, not far from Handler Ridge and
d) to determine the relationship of the Ordovician faunas at Reilly Ridge to the known successions (which has an important bearing on the stratigraphic succession and the time of deformation). The area was mapped, sections were examined and samples were taken for analysis.